Curriculum Programs Foundation to 10

Policy

This policy outlines the requirements for school-based curriculum programs in Victorian government schools across Foundation to Year 10.

Summary

• The Victorian Curriculum F–10 Version 2.0 is now available.
• Schools can familiarise themselves with the Victorian Curriculum F–10 Version 2.0 in preparation for implementation as set out in the timeline available on the Victorian Curriculum F–10 Version 2.0 webpage.
• Schools must provide all students with a planned and structured school-based curriculum program. There must be evidence of:
  • a school-based curriculum plan showing how the learning areas of the Victorian Curriculum F-10 will be substantially addressed, and how the school-based curriculum program will be organised and implemented
  • an explanation of how and when the curriculum and teaching practice will be reviewed
  • an outline of how the school will deliver its curriculum.
• School-based curriculum programs must meet the minimum standards for school registration and comply with associated departmental policies, including Physical and Sport Education – Delivery Requirements, Languages Education and Holocaust Education.
• Schools are encouraged to design and deliver their school-based curriculum programs flexibly, responding to the strengths, needs and aspirations of students and the school and wider community.
• Schools are expected to align the design and delivery of school-based curriculum programs to advice provided by Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority and to the Framework for Improving Student Outcomes 2.0 (FISO 2.0).
• From 2025, schools must develop their approach to teaching and learning to align with the Victorian Teaching and Learning Model 2.0 (VTLM 2.0) and Victoria’s approach to teaching reading F–2.

Details

Requirements for curriculum programs in Victorian government schools are defined with reference to:

• the Guidelines to the Minimum Standards and Requirements for School Registration (Minimum Standards for School Registration) issued by the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA)
• the F–10 Revised Curriculum Planning and Reporting Guidelines (PDF) issued by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA). Victorian Curriculum F–10 Version 2.0 guidelines are coming soon and will be published on the VCAA website.
• departmental policies.

Minimum standards for school registration

Schools must provide all students with a planned and structured school-based curriculum program to equip them with the knowledge, skills and attributes needed to complete their schooling and to make a successful transition from school to work, training or further education.

Under the minimum standards for school registration, there must be evidence of:

• a school-based curriculum plan showing how the learning areas of the Victorian Curriculum F–10 will be substantially addressed, and how the school-based curriculum program will be organised and implemented, noting that some schools in unique circumstances can be exempted by the VRQA from addressing one or more of the learning areas of the Victorian Curriculum F–10
• an explanation of how and when the curriculum and teaching practice will be reviewed
• an outline of how the school will deliver its curriculum.

Schools are encouraged to design and deliver their school-based curriculum programs flexibly, responding to the strengths, needs and aspirations of students and the school and wider community.

In the Foundation stage of schooling (Prep to Year 2), schools may choose to structure their school-based curriculum program around the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (VEYLDF) outcomes (Identify, Connection, Wellbeing, Confidence and Communication). However, please note that schools are still required to report against the Victorian Curriculum F–10 achievement standards.

F–10 curriculum planning guidelines

In the F–10 Revised Curriculum Planning and Reporting Guidelines (PDF), the VCAA provides curriculum planning guidelines for schools to support them in the design and delivery of high-quality school-based curriculum programs.

The guidelines acknowledge the need to approach key stages of school differently, given that early years learners, older children and adolescents have unique learning and development needs. Key stages of schooling in the guidelines are:

• Foundation Stage (Prep to Year 2)
• Breadth Stage (Years 3 to 8)
• Pathways Stage (Years 9 to 10)

The VCAA also provides a comprehensive online Curriculum planning resource, which includes a self-assessment tool for schools and sample school-based curriculum plans.

Schools are expected to align the design and delivery of school-based curriculum programs to advice provided by VCAA.

Victorian Government priorities and departmental policies

Framework for Improving Student Outcomes

The department provides additional support to schools to strengthen curriculum planning as part of the Framework for Improving Student Outcomes (FISO 2.0).

Schools are expected to align the design and delivery of school-based curriculum programs to FISO 2.0. Online supports for the Teaching and Learning and Assessment elements of FISO 2.0 are available on the Guidance and Resources tabs of the Framework for Improving Student Outcomes (FISO 2.0) policy.

Victoria’s approach to teaching reading F-2

All Victorian government primary and specialist schools are required to implement a structured literacy approach to teaching reading from 2025.

As part of this approach, all primary and specialist schools must use a teaching program based on the Big 6 of learning to read that includes a minimum of 25 minutes daily explicit teaching of phonics and phonemic awareness using a systematic synthetic approach in Prep to Year 2.

Explicit teaching of phonics and phonemic awareness

In the early years of school, the development of decoding skills is best developed through a program that includes a minimum of 25 minutes of daily explicit teaching of phonics and phonemic awareness using a systematic synthetic phonics approach. This means teachers use a clear scope and sequence of increasingly complex grapheme-phoneme correspondences and morphology. Students first learn to pronounce single letters and sounds and then blend them to form words. It also involves teaching students to segment sounds and spell words to make the link between reading and writing. Decodable texts are used to practice the letter-sound combinations that students have been taught. This builds students’ skills so they develop automaticity and so can read words quickly and accurately.

The ‘Big 6’

The essential elements of reading are the ‘Big 6’, each of which should form part of a structured literacy approach:

• Oral language – knowing and using spoken words to express knowledge, ideas and emotions
• Phonemic awareness –which is the knowledge of sounds (phonemes)
• Phonics – knowing the sound (phoneme) and letter (grapheme) relationships
• Fluency – reading accurately and at an appropriate rate with expression
• Vocabulary – understanding words in isolation and in context
• Comprehension – making meaning from text which includes developing knowledge of grammar.

These are the foundational skills that have a reciprocal relationship and are all necessary to enable students to independently read and respond to increasingly complex fiction and non-fiction texts.

Implementation support

Implementation supports available to schools include:

• English lesson plans aligned to the Big 6, the English Curriculum 2.0 and the Victorian Teaching and Learning Model 2.0. This includes the Phonics Plus program in F-2 which uses a systematic synthetic phonics approach to teach reading
• Webinars and other professional learning opportunities to support implementation of this approach to teaching reading
• Teaching resources, to be available on ARC from term 4, 2024

For further details, refer to Victoria’s approach to teaching reading F–2 (PDF).

Physical and sport education

A minimum time allocation is mandated for physical and sport education in Victorian government schools. Refer to Physical and Sport Education – Delivery Requirements.

Other time allocations

Time allocations are not mandated in any other learning area, but schools should note:

• as above, schools are required to substantially address all learning areas of the Victorian Curriculum F–10
• time allocations are not a measure of the quality of the teaching and learning program
• how much time students are given to engage with a curriculum area will influence the knowledge and skills that can be addressed.

Languages

All Victorian government schools are required to provide a languages program for students from Foundation to Year 10. Refer to Languages Education.

Holocaust education

All Victorian government school students in the Years 9 to 10 band of schooling must be taught about the Holocaust as part of the school’s curriculum program. Refer to Holocaust Education – Delivery Requirements.

Sexuality and consent education

All Victorian government school students must receive a comprehensive and age-appropriate sexual health education aligned to the Victorian Curriculum, including the teaching of consent. Refer to Sexuality and Consent Education.

Career education

All students in Years 7 to 12 must participate in planned career education activities. Refer to Career Education Funding – Accountability and Reporting Requirements.

Teaching and learning resources – selecting appropriate materials

All Victorian government schools must ensure that teaching and learning resources provide challenging and engaging learning programs for students but do not offend students or the wider school community due to their obscene, offensive or controversial nature. Refer to Teaching and Learning Resources – Selecting Appropriate Materials.

Student wellbeing

School-based curriculum programs must:

• incorporate opportunities for all students to enhance their own and others' wellbeing
• support students to develop knowledge, understanding and skills that enable them to engage critically with a range of health and wellbeing areas and issues.

General religious education

A secular education includes education about world faiths

Learning about religions is part of the Victorian Curriculum. It provides information to students about world faiths and secular belief structures, which enables them to understand the world around them, respect differences and embrace people from all cultural and religious backgrounds to build strong and respectful relationships within a multicultural society.

All education providers must ensure that their programs and teachings are delivered in a manner that supports and promotes the principles and practice of democracy, including a commitment to freedom of religion, speech and association. Government school teachers must not provide teaching in religion other than general religious education.

Religious celebrations and festivals

General religious education may include teaching about, and acknowledgement of, religious celebrations or festivals. This may include recognition of, and educational activities relating to, key religious celebrations such as Christmas, Eid al-Adha, Dwali or Hanukkah. For more information about the role of special religious instruction instructors at general religious education events refer to School celebrations and cultural events in Special Religious Instruction.

Guest speakers

General religious education classes or events may include guest speakers who are representatives of a particular faith to explain the workings and belief structures of their religion. However, the guest speakers must not provide instruction in their religion or promote the religion. They must comply with the department’s policy on Visitors in Schools. For information about organisations that can provide guest speakers representing particular religions, refer to Guest speakers for Teaching about world religions in the Resources tab of this topic.

Related policies

• Assessment of Student Achievement and Progress for Foundation to 10
• Career Education Funding – Accountability and Reporting Requirements
• Holocaust Education – Delivery Requirements
• Languages Education
• Physical and Sport Education – Delivery Requirements
• Reporting Student Achievement and Progress for Foundation to 10
• Sexuality and Consent Education
• Special Religious Instruction
• Teaching and Learning Resources – Selecting Appropriate Materials